The Kids Are Alright
by unifiedFiction
Summary: Despite struggling to deal with nearly losing his nieces, Qrow finds himself swallowing his own feelings (as usual) to help someone else.


It's been hours, but he still can't believe it.

Qrow sits in the kitchen, listening to Yang and Ruby as they play in the living room. He quietly thanks whatever god is listening for that sound - the sound that reminds him that the girls are safe.

After all, if he'd been just a few seconds later...

He sets his glass down on the table when he realizes that his hand is shaking. The drink had already gotten warm long before now, and he idly wonders just how long he's been sitting and staring at it. How long he's been letting his mind replay what had happened over and over and over again.

It feels so vivid every time. The feeling of tiredness as he dragged his weary legs up the trail to Taiyang's house. The scratch of dryness in his throat when he called for Ruby and Yang to let them know he was there.

"Hey, girls," he'd called, smirking to himself. "Your favorite uncle's here with new stories!"

Instead of the usual squeak of "Uncle Qrow!" that he expected to greet him, however, he'd been met with silence. And he can still remember just how tightly fear had gripped his heart when he realized they weren't there. He remembers tearing through the house, yelling the girls' names and praying they had heard his voice and decided to play hide-and-seek. Maybe, just _maybe_-

And then he found it. The letter, yellowed with age, with his sister's handwriting detailing the old cabin they'd found just before Yang had been born. Raven had told Taiyang to remember the cabin's location, as she wanted them to go back there one day.

It took a moment for him to realize why the letter was in Yang's room. And suddenly he could hear her tiny voice - "_Uncle Qrow?_" She'd began once, "_Do you know why mommy left? Or where she is?_"

"_Do you know if she's coming back?_"

"_Do you... think I could find her one day?_"

He remembers cursing loudly, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he bolted for the door. Within seconds of feeling sunshine on his back, he was flying, wings pushing him through the air as fast as physically possible. _No,_ he'd thought, _no, no, not like this, anything but this, I can't lose them too-_

"Uncle Qrow?"

He's torn from the memory suddenly, aware that he's breathing heavily and that it's scaring his small niece as she gazes up at him with wide, lavender eyes. He forces himself to slow his lungs, giving Yang a small smirk. "Hey, kiddo. Finally get tired of baby toys?"

Yang doesn't answer him immediately. She glances behind her into the room just in time to see Ruby bump her block tower, sending it toppling over. She ignores Ruby's sad whine in favor of stepping further into the kitchen. She's looking at Qrow, he notices, but won't meet his gaze. "I... um..." Yang glances around the room before finally lifting her eyes to meet his. "Are you... gonna tell Dad?"

Qrow's cocked eyebrow slowly lowers, his curious expression shifting to something softer. "Hey," he says quietly, "don't look so scared." He stands from his seat and walks over to Yang, scooping her up into what he hopes is a comforting hug. "It's alright, Yang. You're safe. Dad's not gonna be mad."

"But he _will_!" Yang's voice squeaks on the last syllable, and he winces slightly at the pain laced through it. She's a _child_; she shouldn't have anything to be this scared of. Not in the comfortable, safe home Taiyang had made for her and Ruby. "I was supposed to protect Ruby! Keep her safe! But instead I... I..."

"Shhhh." He shushes her quietly, rubbing her back as he adjusts his slipping grip on her and sits back down in his chair. "It's alright." Once Yang's sniffling slows, he pulls back to look at her. "But understand, kiddo, that I have to tell him. He's your dad, after all." He notices her expression. She's about to protest; his sister had made the same face before arguing with anyone in her youth as well. "Besides," He continues with a smirk, "Dads have this superpower where they always find out all the bad things that happen. And then I'd be in trouble too. Know what I mean?"

Yang huffs and frowns. "All dads can't have the same semblance," she says stubbornly. "That's stupid."

His smirk grows at her expression. "It's not a semblance, kid. It's magic. Once a guy becomes a dad, he gets really boring Dad Powers, like knowing when kids are in trouble and how to half-ass fix things."

Yang giggles at that, and Qrow smiles as the worry slips from her face. She looks back up at him, still smiling. "So... you promise he won't be mad?"

"Yeah." Qrow punctuates his answer with a nod. "Promise. Everything's gonna be fine." He pats her on the back and gently lifts her from his lap to set her on the floor. "Now go on and keep your sister company." He nods in the direction of the living room doorway. "She looks bored."

Yang sticks her tongue out at him before turning and heading back for the living room. She immediately grabs Ruby off the floor and spins her around, causing the toddler to cry out in surprise.

Smirking, Qrow turns back to his drink on the table. It only takes a moment for his smirk to fall, and he sighs.

Taiyang won't be mad. But he won't be happy when Qrow has a chat with him.


End file.
